“A Deep Impact”

Interview with Ethan Matthews

By Sergio Vilar


Please Ethan, count us shortly the history of Echo Us... 
Echo Us started out as a songwriting duo that quickly evolved into a live band in Boston, MA where I was attending school. This all came shortly after the break-up of Greyhaven my former group. Over the last couple of years Echo Us became my solo project because of conceptual and musical differences with the other members. This all came to a head in late 2001 shortly after September 11^th. A lot of things were worn out and useless in my life at the time and this led to a musical direction I wanted to travel that was much different and more personal than the other members of Echo Us wanted to do. So, it was best that we split ways and go our separate paths. Over the last couple years I’ve worked in a different manner than ever before as I had always been in bands. I chose to create the music I really wanted to do and that took a lot of time and sifting through everything. Now in 2004-2005 it is actually coming to fruition. It has been a very difficult road but artistically well worth it.

Who your relating ones are at artistic level? Who have influenced you in your formation stage like musician? 
I’ve been in music all my life but it overtook me completely in my early teens. Then it was heavy metal which in turn got me into progressive metal / rock and also fusion to some degree. The past few years my songwriting and interest in sound design and music production have been paramount. I’m only into music and art that I feel are completely honest to the individual though. Music also has to inspire the visual aspect of life.  I believe a pop production can be a full-fledged art form and knows no boundaries. 

Well, let us speak a little about “Echo Us”, the album... Did you look for a sound in particular when you began to write the material?  
No. That was the one thing to avoid in this project and the one thing that almost torn it apart many times.
Of course everything I’ve done since the Greyhaven album has revolved around atmospheric sounds and synthesizers. However, the first Echo Us album is meant to be a varied affair with a lot of depth and no adherence to conventions I’d learned in the past- such as guitaristic composition and songwriting which is such a disease of modern music. Most everything was a re-arranged around the existing lyrics. In fact most of the time I arrange a song 2-3 times before I come to any sort of final version. The only song on the album I feel doesn’t fit is “Who Loves You” which was a very basic pop song that I felt was good enough to put out simply because of it’s charm in and of itself. Although it too was a re-arrangement.

How did the songs arise, of where your inspiration came? 
This album is almost entirely personal for me. I’ve never really done anything with this much of a personal statement. The album itself was mostly written and compiled after some very extreme personal situations I went through a few years ago. I hate sounding so extreme or dramatic but it was and I’m pretty lucky to be alive. Above everything I wanted it to be a fairly extreme and volatile bunch of songs inspired by extreme circumstances and mental/emotional survival. I believe in living through one’s art. A high ideal that I don’t even think I can really live up to most of the time.

Which is the compossitive method that you habitually use? 
With songs the lyrics and melodies come first. The music can always change underneath all that. The music is the bed and “vibe” of the lyrical message. Other than that I do tinker around with an expanding array of technology and work pretty tediously because often times it’s pushing the boundaries of what is possible with two channels of audio (stereo). I try not to use things out of habit but there are a few things sound wise that link the two albums I’ve done with both Greyhaven and Echo Us. Sound wise Echo Us links much more with older electronic music from the 70’s than it does with the modern rash of techno and ebm or synthpop. I believe in knowing one’s history and furthering it beyond existing forms.

Are you satisfied with the final result reached in the album? 
No- but given the circumstances the answer is closer to Yes. It was the most involved recording I’ve done and I’ve handled almost all areas of work myself. Shortly I will get back to working with other people more closely again because I miss some of the collaborative processes of the past. This recording was very limited by the amount of technology at its disposal. A lot of it was recorded on crappy equipment so I had to work a lot harder to come out with a coherent mix for each song. The album was also an experiment and new way of working for me. It cannot be perfect. I am sick of hearing disposable ultra-polished stuff that is everywhere these days. People are playing it way to safe. If there are flaws that is a sign of experimentation and evolution. That is what I want to hear. People are playing it too safe.

Which are the motives that impel you to compose in this time? 
Lately? Nothing. I’ve finished writing the second Echo Us album and will record that this summer. Beyond that I am not sure what will happen. But that (the next album) is enough to think about for now.

How do you feel the evolution of your music? What road are you traveling? 
Only my own I hope. I am not sure what that is and never will be entirely.

How other current musicians consider you tune to your compossitive approaches? 
Lately I don’t know the answer to this. I really don’t think about it too much because other musician’s opinions don’t help me to make music I want to make. Of course if I’m working with someone then that is an entirely different perspective. But if you mean “contemporaries” in other bands or projects, etc I do not know. However there are some musicians I am aligned with because we support some of each other’s ideals and goals. I am always up for supporting artists that I like. I’m not habitually involved in any “scene” though as often times the politics and expectations are juvenile and not really worth the amount of time and energy. I do see some very cool local acts in Portland though. I am sometimes amazed at the creativity in the music scene here.

Do you have thought to publish a new album soon? Does compound material already exist? 
Yes. It will begin recording this summer. Hopefully it will be out in early 2006. I have no idea though at this point in time.

Alone for curiosity. What music type do you listen at the present time? 
A bit of classical but not too much else on my own time. Sometimes I have to kick myself into gear just to listen too stuff. When I do I usually feel better. My life is complicated so it doesn’t allow tons of time for listening. Also, I can’t listen to music I like and not focus on it so I can’t listen to it while doing other tasks really. Right now this room is silent. However I’ve been listening to Dan Rock’s Darkstar project again for the past week. Often brilliant stuff !

Thank you Ethan. Do you have some final message for our readers?
Thanks to whomever is reading this and might be interested in such strange things. You are all the best for supporting all kinds of real music and art. That is enough!

www.echous.net

Nucleus interview: 11/04/05